The Long Winding Road

I was convinced I was going to die there. There. In the middle of nowhere. No way of letting anyone know where I’d gone or why. No reception to phone for help. No map to find my way home. No one will ever find me here, I thought as I pressed my head against the steering wheel. Oh why did I decide to be spontaneous? What was wrong with good old boring, never taking risks me?

Whoosh.The car shuttered. My head snapped up from the steering wheel just in time to see the back of a shiny red vehicle, promptly followed by another. I felt a smile forming on my lips and with a renewed hope, turned on the engine and went in pursuit of the others. I had no idea who they were, but it didn’t matter- I was sure they’d be heading the same place I was.

The road was long and narrow and once or twice I came close to hitting a wall. I was beginning to question my choice when suddenly, I saw it: the place that I had been searching for all day. It was even more beautiful than I imagined; my heart almost stopped as I viewed the glittering blue ocean as it stretched its fingers along the golden sands of the beach. The setting sun left its mark on the waters and in the distance, sailors were enjoying the calm on their boats.

I parked the car and walked towards the beach. Sitting on the stones, I closed my eyes and absorbed my surroundings: the crunching of sand and shells beneath my feet; the smell of wild flowers and freshly cut grass; the cries of happy children building sandcastles and birds singing their sweet songs as they flitted over the flat topped mountains. For the first time all week, I was at peace. All my worries forgotten in this beautiful moment.

There were three things I learned about that day:

One: sometimes the road you take is so long and winding that you’re convinced you’ve taken the wrong path. But sometimes the reward is just behind the next bend. I had been so close to turning back, but if I had, I never would have experienced the pure joy of just sitting there in the beach under the setting sun.

Two: even though life can be hectic at times, sometimes you just have to take a step back and really absorb your surroundings and enjoy nature. Moments like these make it all worth it.

Three: don’t leave home without a map ;)

The beach. It probably doesn’t look that warm, but it was a beautiful day with temperatures over 20 degrees. This picture was taken from a walking trail that went around the whole town- took an hour and a half to complete but totally worth it :)

Yes that is a graveyard.. this ruined church was included on the trial and dates back to the 1100s, though the original church was built in the fifth century :)

Hope you’re all well by the way :)

Thanks for reading

-Qcat